The Spirit Mirror

Maura sighed, looking out at the depleting wetlands before her. The old place of summoning was truly not the same. It looked as if the billions of lily pads were drowning lettuce, when in actuality, they were just curling inward as the water levels went down. It used to be that there was only a small patch of secluded ground exposed, so no others had thought to trample the earth there. It used to be that it was easy to call the spirits, and pray to the earth without interference from amateur photographers, children who treated nature like a petting zoo, or teenagers attempting to discreetly drink among other things. She longed for the days when this place belonged only to itself and remained unfound, as she realized that the sun was retreating.

"What a shame." She muttered, overhearing obnoxious drunk laughter around a fire of illegal campers.

Texting her friend Myron for a ride home, she regretted to leave when it was supposed to be a cloudless full moon that night. So begrudgingly, she removed herself from the fallen tree she had perched on for hours, and began her trek on the path out of the woods. It would be a bit of a hike, and the wildlife were already lurking in their now limited space. At least she didn't have to walk home. Maybe we could find another secluded creek to visit, she thought, Maybe there is still a place yet to be discovered and littered.

"So, has the virus ravaged the lands there too? You look depressed." Myron asked her.

"By sending the humans out into the wilderness, it has." She sighed, yet again.

"I don't think nature asked for their visit." He shook his head.

"No, but in being bored inside, many have decided to take to the outdoors suddenly, but they have no respect in the slightest. The drunkards are only scaring animals into hiding, and throwing trash everywhere."

"True. You know that we are humans too, right?" He teased at her.

"I'm ashamed to be. Truly." She looked at the sun sinking behind the trees as they drove, "The people who pretend they suddenly like nature are killing everything they touch. I know I don't live off-grid either, but still. It's not even hard to pickup after yourself. If my two-year-old niece can, then adults can too." Maura looked on as the sun's last little flames dulled below the trees, as the moon climbed slowly, "Sorry, rant over. It really bothers me though."

"I hear you. I don't think that they realize that the earth is sacred, and that we had plans to call forth the spirits like we have every year." Myron reminded her.

"Do you think they'd care, anyway?" She pointed out the obvious.

"No." He sighed out the window, suddenly smirking with an idea, "You know, we could go ahead anyways and scare them away too."

"You think they'd leave?" Maura genuinely wondered.

"Yeah, if they get scared enough. All we'll need is black candles, the usual altar toppings, an uncooked roast, and the cauldron hanging over the fire." He grinned.

"Yeah, we should do that." She grinned back, "Tonight?"

"Uh, sure. If the others are up for it." Myron agreed.

"I'll message them." She nodded.

So she texted the rest of their group with the idea. Since no one was busy, everyone was excited for the full moon, and giving the campers a spook. Elise picked up several small roasts from the grocery store, and Nora picked up all of the black candles that the store had had to offer, including several boxes of battery candles for effect, while Ron and Lee gathered all of their robes, wine, the cauldron, incense and props to enhance the effect. By the time Myron and Maura had made it back to her place, the whole group of twenty five was there, and all that was left was herbs to season the feast after the others were scared away, as well as potatoes, carrots, and water. After that, they were packed and ready to go in Lee's, Myron's, Elise's and Melanie's cars.

So they drove back to the creek inside of the dark woods by the conservation area, and set up. Lee got the fire ready with the cauldron on the posts above, as everyone else set up a massive circle of candles that would definitely be noticed. Once all was done, they put on their robes and readied their circle.

"Ready?" Maura whispered, and everyone nodded silently.

"Spirit of bog-water, I call on thee. Here me clearly." Myron began, projecting with the stage voice he used in drama club at school.

"Spirit of frog water, I ask of thee; come forth and be." Maura spoke, mirroring his tone.

"Spirit of fog water, I speak to thee. speak unto me." Malik called.

"Accept this offering, a heart from me." Elise put the first roast into the cauldron's sizzling water, and the camper's went quiet with curiosity.

"Accept this offering, a heart from me." Lee said, adding the second roast.

Anna, Mike, and Louise added the next three roasts in the same way, garnering more attention from the curious campers. A total of five small roasts to look like the hearts of five large sacrifices, made the illusion much creepier, which had been their intent in doing their mock-ritual.

"Accept this offering of sage from me." Ron added three bunches into the pot.

"Accept this offering of wine from me." Drew poured in a whole bottle of merlot.

"Accept my offering moon water, here." Flynn poured a mason jar of water that had collected rainwater on the rail of his porch.

"Accept this offering of deadman's tears." Hanna poured in a few drops of almond extract, mostly for flair.

"Accept offering from a garden near." Ken threw in a bouquet of wild flowers.

Everyone else stomped, clapped and and tapped on whatever they had in a rhythm to make their mock-ritual into a song, as they repeated they're call out to the thrice named spirit. Around the circle their calls went, over and over, as they worked their way into a yell. They heard screams as the terrified campers ran away, abandoning their stuff.

The air was charged with electricity, and they were having too much fun to quit then. They all then joined hands as their voices returned to the starting volume, and closed their eyes. The cauldron bubbled over, and put out their fire. All of the light that remained were the candles.

As their voices came slowly to a halt, they all were entranced in their ritual, as if hypnotized by the energy around them. The wind that sounded of a loud breath circled around them and stole away all of their flame light, leaving only the now flickering and weakened light of the dying battery candles.

As they quieted, the campers returned quietly to their site, watching after the ritual curiously. Another gust encircled the group, not succeeding in stealing the light fully. As they all opened their eyes to the sound of loud sloshing beside them, the lights were nearly dead. Letting go of each other's hands, they looked around and what little light remained, only Maura noticed the two glowing red beads in the murky, foggy water of the creek.

A third gust encircled them. This time they could tell it was coming off of the creek by the swampy smell. It was as if it was trying to blow out the candles, that were not real flames. As only one tiny flickering candle remained, an angry and beastly growl sounded.

"You lie!!!!" The voice growled out from the creek as the last light died, but not before Myron saw his face before something with red eyes came out from the water, "No hearts, no tears, only lies!!!!!"

The campers ran away, as they all screamed and scattered in the dark to try and escape. The next day, it was as if they had never even visited the area at all, and they were not heard from again. Many full moons later, three skeptical teenagers decided to camp and try the spell again. This time, they saw many sets of red eyes in the foggy water, before just barely escaping the Spirit's Mirror in the water.